Stalk cutter



May 14, 1929. P, w, PELL 1,713,197

STALK CUTTER Filed July. 12, 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet l F217 1 Z Z I &'\ 47 49 50 19 v P W SPELL May 14, 1929.

P. w. SPELL STALK CUTTER Filed July 12', 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 P W (YR ELL Wmk Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES PERRY W. SPELL, OF BGSEBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

swam: cmrrnn.

Application filed July 12, 1927. Serial No. 205,190.

This invention relates to stalk cutters.

An important object ofthe invention is to provide novel means for cutting standing stalks such as those of corn, cotton, and similar plants, whereby the pieces of the stalk are so small as not to interfere with cultivation of the field and may be turned under the soil for fertilizing purposes.

A further object is to provide novel means for lifting the stalks from the ground and and conveying them in an upright position through a series of cutters whereby they may be severed into small pieces.

A further object is to provide novel means having a linear travel substantially equal to the speed of travel of the apparatus over the field for conveying the stalks from the lifting to the cutting means.

A further object is to provide novel cutting devices and novel means'for feeding the stalks to the cutting devices.

A further object is to provide novel drive means for the cutters and the feed means therefor.

A further object is to provide novel guide means associated with the conveyor for holding the stalks in upright position as they are lifted and conveyed to the cutters.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent. during the course of the following description.

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation,

Figure 2 is a plan View, parts being shown in section,

Figure 3 is a front elevation,

Figure 4 is a section substantially on line 4-4. of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a detail section on line 55 of Figure 1, and,

Figure 6 is a similar view on line 66 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a pair of side frame members each including upper and lower rails 11 These rails may be connected at their ends by vertical posts 12 and ,13 and the side frame members are connected to each other by transverse connecting bars or rails 14. and 15. Inner parallel upper and lower rails 16 are arranged within the frame and are connected at their rear ends to the tranverse rails 14 and 15. The forward endsof the rails 16 are connected to inwardly extending arms 17 carried by the upper and lower portions of the side frames.

The elements just described constitute the body portion of the apparatus which may be supported at its forward end for movement over the ground by wheels or casters 18. At its rear end, the body is supported by relatively large cleated wheels 19 mounted upon a transverse axle 20 journalled in bearings 21 carried b the rear vertical members 13. 'If desired,

ing arms 26 secured to the rails 16 by rivets or the like 27. Stalks lifted by the member 24 are adapted to move rearwardly through the apparatus and are guided in their movement by upper and lower pairs of opposite substantially parallel guides 28 having their forward ends 29 curved outwardly. These guides may be suitably secured to the body of the apparatus, as will be apparent.

The axle 20 is provided intermediate its ends with a gear housing 30, a bevel gear 31 being arranged in this housing and secured to the axle 20 to rotate therewith. The upper portion of the housing 30 is provided with a bearing 32 in which is journalled a vertical shaft 33 having a bevel pinion 3d at its lower end meshing with the gear 31.

A supporting sleeve 35 surrounds the shaft 33 and is secured at its lower end to the bearing 32. The upper end of this sleeve supports a plate 36 forming a part of a relatively large horizontally arranged gear casing 37. The elements of this gear casing may be secured together by bolts 38. The upper and lower portions of the gear housing are provided with. bearings 39 rotatably receivin the upper end of the shaft 33, and this she is provided within the gearhousing 37 with a relatively large gear 40. The gear 39 meshes with a small gear or pinion 41 which is substantially double the thickness of the gear 37. The pinion 41 also meshes with another gear 42 to drive the latter, and this gear and the upper portion of the pinion 41 are arranged in an elevated portion 43 of the gear casing 37.

The pinion 41 is mounted on the upper end of a shaft 44, the upper end of which is jour nailed in a bearing 45 formed in the lower lti fill

ported upon the torvvor vvoll ot the geor housing 37. The lovver end ot this shoitt is journoiled in o henring to corried hy one of the ruils it. At spocod intervols, the shoilt ti is provided With circulor soiv blades it, tor o purpose to he described 'ihe gear 42 is mounted upon lid orrenged porellel to the shott tit end journolled in suitolole corriod lov one peir of trance nienihers to. At spoced intervuls, odjocent ooch. sovv lolndo ell, the provided vvith dislts til hoving rodiol pins ht) projecting therotroin, the to else is provided vrith upper lower sprockets or shoot vvhich endless chnins hit The on per chnin hit to point neor the tier vvord end ot the ilrruno, end posses oround u sproclrot 53 mounted upon it shoi't 5t. 'lhe lovrer choin 52 else oround o tor-Word sprocket 55 mounted upon shott At spoced intervols the choins 52:2 ore provided with projections so, the projections on the in nor runs oi the choins suhstontinlly coinciding "with the spoce hetvveon the guides 'lihe operotion oi the oppnrotus is tollows:

llho hody or the oppuretuo will is sup d end roor Wheels end round in mop he propelled over the w suitnhle 'lfhe device is moved over the ground with rovv ot stollrs in ohneuiont With the snuco hetvroen the guides Where will move thereinto the ve 'llho roots oi the vviil ri'oni the ground lay the nioinher 2t so thot the complete plont will he elevotod in Figure It. The stollis will he guided in their reorvvnrd movement by the guides end will he held in upright position by the projections he oi? the conveyor cheins 52, these elements constituting the conveying iii-cons. The otollis obviously "will he held in upright position inosninch on the conveyor choir o oo uol speeds. The geering enipio ved is preterohl v such thot the renrvvord linoor speed elf the inner runs out the choin lit l vviil he eo uol to linenr speed oil the nppo rotus it posses-over the ground, end nocordinglv there trill he no tendency tor stollts to he throvvn out oi vorticel posi tiono rnovoinent i the opporotus over the ground ohviously rototes the mile 20 vvhich tho 33 through the hovel 3i n d pinion The rototion of tho Z'lh drf tho lorge geor to, end the pinion ti will o iven troin tho letter reletivelv spoon to rotote the ti', tiinco eor is nontotioll; e then the pinion ll, it v ill he driven thorehy relntivelv The geor io peterohlv such to provide the speed nit trovel ot the choins, previously re terred to. he the inove reorvvnrdlv t e equities 28 Will he snc sivoly i hy the projections hit oi itrionov' dishs 49, one oi those dislts heing orronged odjocent each ot the sow hlodes l? to torce or stood the stnlhs thereogoinst. 'lihe ropid rototion ct tho sow hlndes etliciently cuts the stollrs end tho ieces thereot tell to tho ground es vvill o oppnrent. These pieces of stolli ore pretorohly relotively short so es not to interfere With cultivotion ot tho ground, end nioy he turned under Where they Wilt rot end etlord tertilisntion for tho soil,

is to he understood thot tho torin ot the invention herewith shovvn end described is to he telren o preferred exoniple ot the some end various chonges the shope, sisie end orrongeinent ot ports now he resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope oi? the Sublifilnfid cloinis.

ll cloirn:

i. ll. stellr cutter comprising stollr litting device, n plurelity of guides ovronged ohove end on opposite sides oi soid litting device, upper end lower conveying means including o plurolity ot spoced projections edopted to trovei poi-eilel to said guides, o verticel shott orronged ndjzicent the roor ends ot soid guides, end it plurolitv ot spoced cutting ineinhei's corried by said shoi t, the speed of soid upper end lovver conveying moons losing eopiol.

2. A. stolh cutter comprising n stollr hitting device, plurality out guides errenged ohove end on opposite sides of ssid hitting device, upper end lower conveying ineons including o plurality ot spaced projections odopted to trovei porellel to said guides, to verticol. she-ft nrronged edjocent the reor ends of soid guides, o piurolitv ot'spoced cutting inertihers corried hv soid shaft, end o tending inern her orronged ndjecent ouch ot soid cutting ineinhers end adopted to teed the stellrs thereogoinst, the speed 0t soid upper end lower conveying ineons being eoiuol,

3, A stolli cotter comprising o poir oit side trnine noeinhers orronged porollel to eoch other end spoced tit their torivord ends, sup porting Wheeis orronged odiocent the reor ends or soid ironic members, on oirle connectsoid wheels, or stollr litting device orronged honeeth ondl etvveen soid rtrerne niernhers end connected thereto odjecent their torvvord ends, upper end lower porollol. guides or ronged hetvveen snid "ironic rnernhers eittonding item the front tovvord the roer thereoi, upper end lovver conveyin ineons odopted to engoge the stolh's uproote h soid lifting device rind including projections odepted to trovel reorvvordlv hetvveen end porollel to soid guides, at plurolity oi verticollv spaced cutting rneinhers orrengod odjecent the reor end oi; soid, conveying moons, and driving nieons connecting snid side to soid conveying nieces seid cutting members, the speed of upper end lower conveying ineens hooonol end heing roguloted lov the speed ltld lid

of said wheels whereby the stalks will be carried by said conveying means in an upright position.

4. A stalk cutter comprising a pair of side frame members arranged parallel to each other and spaced at their forward ends, supporting wheels arranged adjacent the rear ends of said frame members, an axle connecting said wheels, a stalk lifting device ar ranged beneath and between said frame members and connected thereto adjacent their forward ends, upper and lower parallel guides arranged between said frame members and extending from the front toward the rear thereof, upper and lower conveyor chains arranged to one side of the space between said frame members and provided with outstanding projections adapted to travel rearwardly between and parallel to said guides, forward and rear sprockets about which said conveyor chains pass, a pair of vertical shafts, a lurality of vertically spaced cutting mem ers carried by one of said shafts, said rear sprockets being carried by the other of said shafts, and drive means connected between said axle and said shafts, the speed of said upper and lower conveyor chains being equal and being regulated by the speed of said wheels whereby the stalks will be carried in an upright position between said upper and lower conveyor chains.

5. A stalk cutter comprising a pair of side frame members arranged parallel to each other and spaced at their forward ends, supporting wheels arranged adjacent the rear ends of said frame members, an axle connecting said wheels, a stalk lifting device arranged beneath and between said frame members and connected thereto adjacent their forward ends, upper and lower parallel guides arranged between said frame members and extending from the front toward the rear thereof, upper and lower conveying means adapted to engage the stalks uprooted by said lifting device and including projections adapted to travel rearwardly between and parallel to said guides, a pair of vertical shafts arranged adjacent the rear end of said conveying means, a plurality of vertically spaced cutting members carried by one of said shafts, a feed member arranged adjacent each of said cutting members and adapted to feed the stalks thereagainst, said feed members being carried by the other'of said shafts, and driving means connecting said aide to said conveying means and saidshafts, the speed of said upper and lower conveying means being equal and bein regulated by the speed of said wheels where y the stalks will be carried by said upper and lower conveying means in an upright position.

6. A stalk cutter comprising a pair of side frame members arranged parallel to each other and spaced at their forward ends, supporting wheels arranged adjacent the rear ends of said frame members, an axle connecting said wheels, a stalk lifting device arranged beneath and between said frame members and connected thereto adjacent their forward ends, upper and lower parallel guides arranged bet-ween said frame members and extending from the front toward the rear thereof, upper and lower conveyor chains arranged to one side of the space between said frame members and provided with outstanding projections adapted to travel rearwardly between and parallel to said guides, forward and rear sprockets about which said conveyor chains pass, a pair of vertical shafts, a plurality of vertically spaced cutting members carried by one of said shafts, said rear sprockets being carried by the other of said shafts, a feed member arranged adjacent each of said cutting members and adapted to feed the stalks thereagainst, said feed members being carried by the last mentioned shaft, and drive means connected between said axle and said shafts, the speed of said upper and lower conveyor chains being equal and being regulated by the speed of said wheels whereby the stalks will be carried in an upright position between said upper and lower conveyor chains.

7. A stalk cutter comprising a pair of side frame members arranged parallel to each other and spaced at their forward ends, supporting wheels arranged adjacent the rear ends of said frame members, an axle connect ing said wheels, a stalk lifting device arranged beneath and between said frame members and connected thereto adjacent their forward ends, upper and lower parallel guides arranged between said frame members and extending from the front toward the rear thereof, upper and lower conveyor chains arranged to one side of the space between said frame members and provided with outstanding projections adapted to travel rearwardly between and parallel to said guides, forward and rear sprockets about which said conveyor chains pass, a pair of vertical shafts, a Inrality of vertically spaced cutting mem ers carried by one of said shafts, and drive means connected between said axle and said shafts, said drive means comprising a pinion carried by said first named shaft, a gear meshing therewith and carried by the other shaft, 8. drive shaft, a gear carried by said drive shaft and meshing with said pinion, a bevel pinion carried by said drive shaft, and a bevel gear carried by said axle and meshing with said bevel pinion, the speed of said upper and lower conveying means being equal and being regulated by the speed of said wheels whereby the stalks will be carried by said conveying means in an upright position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

PERRY W. SPELL. 

